Here’s some of what you shared, lightly edited:
“As someone who worked as a naturalist on whale watching vessels for many years, I loved bringing locals and travelers to the wonders just offshore of San Diego. We routinely saw staggeringly large groups of thousands of common dolphins leaping around the ship and tender exchanges between migrating gray whale mothers and calves. Every so often we would experience ‘lifetime moments’ — ones that most people will never forget. The sound of a blue whale’s tremendous exhale and inhale of breath stays with you. You can’t help squealing with glee as you are wholly present with the natural world.” — Caitlin Scully, San Diego
“Pasadena conjures images of the annual Rose Parade coupled with the N.C.A.A. football Rose Bowl game. But to me and my husband, this is simply home. Apart from charming neighborhoods, Pasadena is a walker’s paradise with plenty of beautiful little gardens for impromptu picnics. We are also home to the world-renowned California Institute of Technology, where great minds from all over the world learn and create the next technology that will make our world a better place. Indeed, our little corner in California is a paradise.” — Ruby Stern, Pasadena
“Since arriving from New Jersey in 1983, I have never considered leaving California. The variety of environments is like no other place in America, from Death Valley to the spectacular redwood forests and national parks. I am now retired on the beautiful Central Coast in the Santa Maria Valley. Even running errands here is fun while driving the peaceful two-lane roads through strawberry fields and world-class wineries.” — Julius Reuter, Guadalupe
“Unlike many Californians, I was born and raised here. Growing up in Los Angeles, I was privy to events that most people around the world come from afar to see — the Rose Parade, the Hollywood sign, the Lakers! No matter where I’ve been in the world, awe-struck by the beauty of other countries, there’s nothing like the feeling of flying into LAX and seeing my beautiful, sunny city buzzing with energy and colorful chaos.” — Susie Medina Salazar, Ventura
“When I was 21, I left my home in Toronto for a mountain biking vacation in the wild forests of the Trinity Alps, at the confluence of the Klamath and Trinity Rivers. I was supposed to stay for a week but found that I just could not leave, so I extended my trip another three weeks. I traveled down to the Bay Area on a Greyhound bus, chatting and listening the whole way with a University of California, Berkeley student working on a master’s degree in music composition. I found the people creative and progressive, and the landscapes inspiring. When it was time to go home I cried on the plane as I watched California disappear into the clouds, vowing to live there one day. Three years later, I got my chance. I applied for and won a job in San Francisco! I can still feel my excitement as I drove over the Bay Bridge into the city.” — Jodie Cook, San Clemente
